David McLean advises private investment funds and sponsors in their equity and debt investing activities. His deep experience up and down the capital stack allows him to bring a broad range of expertise to his clients, together with the deep market insight, knowledge and relationships that accompany that experience.
David regularly counsels clients on all types of investing activities, from venture capital, minority equity, growth equity and control buyouts, to venture lending, mezzanine finance and senior lending. He has over 29 years of practice, with a particular focus on junior capital and the investment funds that focus in this sector.
David and his team bring a partner approach to their clients, with an emphasis on providing value-added services that go beyond the mere execution of transactions.
David is one of the country’s leading experts on independent sponsor transactions and was one of the co-architects of the firm’s practice in this area. David has been honored as the 2020 Texas Trailblazer by Texas Lawyer, twice nominated as D Magazine’s Dealmaker/Attorney of the Year, winning in 2020, and named to D-CEO’s List of 500 most influential leaders in Dallas Fort Worth.
- New York University School of LawJD1996
-
Texas A&M UniversityBBA
cum laude
1993
Member, Commercial Finance Association
Member, Association for Corporate Growth
- Speaker, Emerging Manager Conference, Dallas, TX, April 16-17, 2024
- Moderator, "What I Wish I Knew Before I Raised My First Fund," Emerging Manager Conference, Dallas, TX, May 17, 2023
- Speaker, "Welcome," 2022 Independent Sponsor Conference, October 26, 2022
- Speaker, Independent Sponsors of Denver Networking Lunch, April 4, 2022
- Moderator, "Impact of the Pandemic on Independent Sponsor Transactions," 2021 Independent Sponsor Conference, October 20, 2021
- Speaker, "A Debt Finance Podcast ," Yield Maintenance: A Debt Finance Podcast, Ongoing Series
- Presenter, "How to Utilize Mezzanine Financing During COVID-19," Yield Maintenance: A Debt Finance Podcast, July 24, 2020
- Speaker, Trends in the Independent Sponsor Market, Plexus Capital Podcast, January 23, 2020
- Moderator, "State of the Market on Independent Sponsor Economics," 2019 Independent Sponsor Conference, October 3, 2019
- Moderator, "Evolution of the Traditional Private Equity Model," 2018 Independent Sponsor Conference, October 3, 2018
- Speaker, The Independent Sponsor Model: Part Two, Plexus Capital Podcast, April 17, 2018
- Speaker, The Independent Sponsor Model, Plexus Capital Podcast, March 30, 2018
- Moderator, "Deal Sourcing, Winning Auctions, and Getting a Target under LOI," 2017 Independent Sponsor Conference, October 5, 2017
- Moderator, "Independent Sponsor Panel," 14th Annual Healthcare and Life Sciences Private Equity and Finance Conference, February 23, 2017
- Speaker, Restructuring, Insolvency and Investment in the Oil & Gas Industry, McGuireWoods Webinar, April 16, 2015
- Speaker, Key Aspects in Mezzanine Financing, Lorman Live Webinar, December 4, 2014
- Moderator, Tax Structuring for Buyout Professionals: A Skill-Building Breakfast, McGuireWoods LLP Seminar, October 16, 2014
- Moderator, "Trends Impacting Lower Middle Market Firms Including the Minority Recap," AM&AA Winter Conference, January 23, 2014
- Texas
Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America, Corporate Law, 2021-2025; Venture Capital Law, 2024, 2025, Woodward/White, Inc.
Selected as a finalist, “Dealmaker of the Year (Attorney),” Mergers & Acquisitions Awards, D CEO Magazine, 2023
Selected for inclusion in “Legal 500 United States,” M&A: Middle-Market; Private Equity Buyouts, 2021, 2022
Selected for inclusion as an “Influential Business Leader,” Dallas 500, D CEO Magazine, 2021
Named a “Texas Trailblazer,” Texas Lawyer, 2020
Named “Attorney of the Year,” Mergers & Acquisitions Awards, D CEO Magazine, 2020
Selected for inclusion as a “Leading Lawyer” in Corporate/M&A, Chambers USA, 2018, 2019
Selected for inclusion as a “Leading Lawyer,” Commercial Lending: Advice To Lenders, 2017; Private Equity Buyouts, 2018; Texas, Legal 500 US
- Author, Key Takeaways From McGuireWoods’ 2019 Independent Sponsor Conference, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, November 11, 2019
- Author, Potential Impact of a Recession on Independent Sponsors, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, January 22, 2019
- Author, Key Takeaways From the McGuireWoods 2018 Independent Sponsor Conference, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, December 3, 2018
- Contributor, McGuireWoods Independent Sponsor Conference: Several Factors Drive Explosive Growth, The Texas Lawbook, November 6, 2018
- Author, It’s Just Math – Independent Sponsor Transaction Survey White Paper, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, May 4, 2018
- Author, Key Takeaways From the McGuireWoods 2017 Independent Sponsor Conference, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, October 30, 2017
- Author, Independent Sponsors: How to Leverage This Valuable Channel for Transactions, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, June 19, 2017
- Author, SBA Final Rule: SBIC Funds May Invest In Double Holding Company Structures, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, December 11, 2014
- Author, Trends in Middle Market Mezzanine Finance, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, October 23, 2014
- Author, Fall 2014 SBIC Debenture Coupon Rates Move Lower to 3.015%, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, September 26, 2014